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Daichi had come to know her as that short-haired girl at the volleyball sign-ups. They had signed up for their respective volleyball teams together, and upon recognizing her as a fellow first year, he asked what position she played.
He didn’t notice it then, but her face had turned crimson.
“You’re asking me?” She had squeaked.
“Well, yeah, I’m the only other person here.” He replied.
“I’m... ah...” Of course, she mustered to find the words to answer him, but he was excited to declare, “I’m going to fly with the crows!” It was why he applied for Karasuno after all.
“Oh. Yes. It’ll be nice to fly.” The short-haired girl said thoughtfully.
“Why clip your wings before you even try?” Daichi retorted.
It didn’t even occur to him then that she was embarrassed – not out of being humiliated, but struck by his forwardness. He was overeager and proud, yes, but it exuded the confidence she wished she had.
He had no idea that the girl was in a panic when they bumped into each other in the hallway some days later.
“Hey, you’re the one who signed up for the girl’s volleyball team,” He greeted, “I’m Daichi Sawamura. What’s your name?”
“Y-y-Yui.” She had stammered, “Yui Michimiya.”
It had to be said, Daichi only got distracted once. Of course it was by Kiyoko Shimizu, who had won a following in their batch because of her ‘classic’ look. She was on the track team for a while, but she had left after the season shy of the inter-school. Rumor had it that it was because her sweetheart from junior high broke up with her.
“Yes! We can get her!” The team manager then, a spirited girl named Kasumi, declared, “If she’s broken-hearted, she’s desperate for a change of scene. Find her, Sawamura. Lead her heart to our gym.”
Like the obedient boy that he was, he did. And he stumbled upon his words when he invited her to become manager for the men’s volleyball team. He was struck by how a girl could look like those maidens you see in woodblock prints but in modern wear -- a girl’s school uniform.
Even before he fully understood the meaning of ‘attraction’, Daichi felt it. But being shy of fifteen years old then, he didn’t know what to do with it.
Their first season wasn’t great, but Kiyoko being at practice gave Daichi extra incentive for working hard. And he did get to know her off the court when she tagged along to post-game dinners and cafes. When she wasn’t taking care of them, she liked listening to music and reading light novels. She was unsure of which college she wanted to go to, but she did want to try studying in another city and a course related to medicine.
There were moments when Daichi could have asked her out, but he got cold feet or it simply wasn’t the right time. Then it never became the right time, as he could never get her alone.
In the end, that was alright with him. They were friends—family even. They were a part of his love for the game.
He had no idea that Yui was shaken by whispers among the other players who got wind of Daichi’s attraction to the new female manager. He didn’t know that after one practice, she had meant to confess her love for him, but ended up hiding where she could until the team left. She couldn’t even bear to corner Daichi as he left with Sugawara and his other teammates.
As the blood rushed through her, she noticed that Kiyoko had stayed behind, packing away the net and wiping down the volleyballs with Kasumi. As soon as she was sure that Daichi was out the gate and wasn’t going to double back for anything, Yui took a deep breath and made a run for the gym.
Next thing she knew, she would say, she was in the doorway of the gym with her finger pointed in Kiyoko’s direction.
“Shimizu!” She yelled.
Kiyoko turned and gave her a puzzled look.
“Hey, you’re that first year girl from the girl’s team!” Kasumi recognized. “What brings you--”
“Daichi likes you! Do you like him back?!”
There was just that second of awkwardness.
Kiyoko sighed.
“Tell me! I... I won’t tell him! I...I... just, don’t want to get in the way of...” Her voice shook, her confidence waiving, “I just want him happy! You better make him happy!”
“But I won’t be the one who’ll make him happy.” Kiyoko replied, unruffled.
“What?! But I mean, he’s talented, and cute, and you’re single--”
“I like Daichi. But not as much as you do.”
And with that, Yui fully retreated into stammers and incoherence. Kiyoko could only look on in amusement.
“It’s late. Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”
It started with those first two corner store sports drinks. The next day was the first lunch they had as budding friends, the first of many that made up their eventual close friendship. Kiyoko listened patiently and guided Yui into gaining the confidence to admit her feelings for Daichi, or to get more people to support the female team. They talked a lot about the Karasuno boys, and their frustrated climb back to the top. But for all their hard work, heartache, and tears – Yui and Daichi were appointed captains of their teams in third year. Kiyoko stuck to the team, and was with them when they recruited the new star first years, and finally, the inter-school championships.
“You can say that your love helped the team win.” Kiyoko teased.
Yui’s face turned red.
“You should tell him soon. Aren’t you co-coaching each other on no-practice days? Might be the best time to tell him before practice picks up for nationals.”
So she did. Some time since the start of third year, Daichi and Yui found time to catch up with their own volleyball clinic. It was similar to how the team worked with their managers, but with closer mentorship. Sometimes Sugawara or the other third years would join them, but most of the time it was just Yui and Daichi.
And finally, during one afternoon, Yui finally admitted,
“I love you, Daichi!”
But she ran off before he could reply.
Sugawara found Daichi after practice flabbergasted and lost in thought in the corner of the club house.
“Oi, aren’t you meeting with Michimiya today?” He asked, “Isn’t it your mentorship day?”
“Yeah.” Daichi automatically replied. Sugawara realized that his being there hadn't completely sunk in.
“Sawamura.” He waved his hand in front of his face, “What’s the matter? Is everything alright?”
“Uhmn.” Daichi blinked, and looked up at him. It took that one look for Sugawara to put two and two together, and he chuckled.
“About damn time, Daichi!”
Daichi gave a sigh, “I don’t know, Suga.”
“Oh please, you do know. You just won’t admit it to yourself because you’re too focused on the--” Daichi suddenly saw the ball tossed towards him and he automatically caught it in his hand, “See what I mean? And don’t continue to deny it. You made me co-captain because I knew how to read our teammates better than you could.”
“How sure are you that I like her that way?” Daichi challenged.
“One,” Sugawara counted, “On top of everything you have to do for the team and for school, you have not missed a single mentorship session with her since the start of the year. Two, she is the only person outside of the team you immediately reply to. Three, she is the only female friend you really take care of.”
“There’s Shimizu.”
“Sawamura, you knew I dated Shimizu for about a month, right? You didn’t even bat an eyelash when you saw me walk her home.”
“Hey, we’re friends and you wanted a chance--”
“What if I told you that I was going to date Michimiya?”
“Would you?”
“Your voice went up just a little bit at the very idea. See? And to date Michimiya, any boy in our year knows, they’d have to ask you. Both teams knew that Michimiya loved you even before the match against Shiratorizawa.”
Daichi looked rueful.
“I’m an idiot.”
“Love does that,” Sugawara was sympathetic, “So, when are you going to to tell her that you love her too? Declarations of love are a privilege that some of us can’t ever have.”
And that was when he put it all together, and remembered that she would turn pink and giggly when he would come around. While he had simply thought it as nerves and a manifestation of her terrible self-esteem, he realized that it was because he would never see it that way. He had been trained since he was seven years old to keep his eye on the ball, and it took him a long while to really read into who held it.
It was his turn to serve.
“I want to get to know you better after practice.” He told her one lunch day.
And he shouldn’t have been surprised, but he felt his heart skip a beat as he watched her eyes light up at the idea.
“Sure!” She said, and she leaned over for a quick kiss by his lips – which he did not find unpleasant, at all.
Daichi heard through some of the volleyball gossip that Oikawa of Seijo had lost a date last year because he talked too much about volleyball. He figured some time ago that it would also happen to him, and he was likely to only find someone when he goes to college. He didn’t expect to find someone who would actually share his deep love of the game.
“I’m glad you told me.” He said one afternoon during the weekend sports TV special. Yui was leaning back against him as they watched in his living room, on the couch. She turned to him, wondering. “If you didn’t...honestly, I’d just be focused on the ball.”
“Are you saying I’m a distraction?” Yui panicked.
“Yes. But at least now, I see a bigger picture. And you fit right in.”
Daichi trailed kisses in her hair, and the side of her face. Yui’s eyes fluttered shut as she turned into his embrace.
It would never cease to amaze Daichi at how perfectly her frame fit against his.